CPG Chatter

Let me pose a question. Do you believe Trade Promotion Management (TPM) systems are just for big Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies and everyone else is relegated to Excel® to manage trade spend?  There are many manufacturers that have this [...]

The old adage of “work hard play hard” is one way to define working at MEI. From video game tournaments to a culturally diverse team with brains, wit and a sense of humor, we have a mutual respect for one [...]

Recently I had the pleasure of hosting a webinar entitled “Winning with Shopper Marketing.”  The presentation featured Mary Georgio, a shopper marketing expert with a wealth of experience from both the Manufacturer and Agency sides. I was particularly impressed with [...]

Manufacturers know a first-rate Broker network is the key to success. Good Brokers can be the difference between being a market leader or follower. Brokers are much more than a simple conduit between Manufacturer, Distributor and Retailer. In addition to [...]

As a long-time optimist,  I believe 2012 will be a very successful year — with or without significant improvements in the economy.  Businesses and consumers have proven to be both resilient and smart.  They are doing the best they can [...]

Several months ago I spoke at an industry conference regarding best practices in trade promotion management. I discussed the nature of collaboration between Manufacturers and Retailers and proposed that the goal of such collaboration was to create a “win-win” scenario [...]

If I was going to pick one word to describe 2011 it would be resilience. Everyone in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) space – Manufacturers, Brokers, Distributors, Retailers and Consumers – sure showed plenty of it. It’s easy to get [...]

As 2011 winds down, it is always interesting to look back and decipher how shopper behavior has changed.  Economic conditions certainly didn’t get any better and buyers felt the impact on their wallets and lifestyle.  As we head into 2012, [...]

Taking a well-deserved break from the daily grind to reflect achievements, acknowledge milestones and set new goals was the mission of MEI’s year-end company meeting and holiday celebration. The entire team recently gathered in sunny Orlando, Florida, to celebrate its [...]